


Lion's Blood

by theoretically_moss



Series: Our Crimson Path [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Gen, Hurt No Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21941476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoretically_moss/pseuds/theoretically_moss
Summary: It all started with one choice, the choice to teach Dimitri. A choice that led Byleth down a path full of anger and revenge. She would free the world from the grips of the Empire and kill those responsible for her suffering.A prequel fic for Hands Stained Crimson about Byleth's time with the Blue Lions and how it affected her.
Series: Our Crimson Path [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556530
Comments: 2
Kudos: 71





	Lion's Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Sup, I was hit by inspiration to write this and a Golden Deer fic about HSC Byleth to give an idea of how she became the way she did in HSC.

The Blue Lions. That’s who Byleth chose to teach. They seemed like serious enough students, ready to learn the ways of battle. And their upbringings in the Kingdom should have prepared them to learn. After all, it was the land of holy knights. And her instincts proved right. The Lions would show to class, ready to learn, and she would teach them. It was simple enough. Or so she thought.

As time went on, the world became more complicated. Missions in the Kingdom occurred that devastated one student or another. So many in pain. And yet all Byleth knew was to push forward. To push through and watch as strange occurrences happened about the church and Relics.

Byleth didn’t understand her students’ pain until Remire. The village she grew up in, burned to a crisp. Once kind and compassionate villagers now killing each other in a fit of madness. And Byleth had to kill them, or else she would die herself. Solon and the Flame Emperor. It was their fault any of this happened. And Byleth would kill them for it.

But before that could happen, the world seemed to freeze and fall apart. Jeralt died. Byleth tried and tried again to save him, until her own body collapsed from fatigue. Monica. She, too, would pay for this. Byleth would kill her for taking Jeralt away from her.

Time seemed to blur into a haze. She couldn’t remember anything that happened. Only pain. Only despair. That was all she could feel. All she could remember. Until being trapped within darkness. Only then did her mind clear. Filled with the power of the goddess. But at the cost of Sothis.

Byleth told herself any cost was worth while for her revenge. She watched as Kronya and Solon had fallen at her blade. She felt no relief. No happiness. Nothing but emptiness at their deaths. But Byleth didn’t care. She never felt anything before. All she knew now was anger. Perhaps she’d finally feel something when the Flame Emperor died.

And she did when she saw the Flame Emperor again. The mask fell, revealing Edelgard beneath. Anger welled up within Byleth, mixing in with confusion and a tinge of sadness. A student turning on the church and pointing her blade at Byleth’s own students. That wouldn’t be allowed. She was responsible for Dimitri and Byleth’s pain. She was why Remire was destroyed and Jeralt was dead. She was why Dimitri’s family died. She ruined everything. Byleth would kill her.

Though she never got the chance. Instead, she fell, drifting away in what seemed to be an endless sleep. Falling deeper and deeper into darkness. Her thoughts played on repeat. Edelgard must pay. Pay for her crimes with her life. She destroyed everything. She must die.

Though a strange man was with her in the darkness. He questioned her. Why must Edelgard die? Is it what you truly believe? How many lives will you take just for one woman’s head? The man said something didn’t add up. Edelgard was too young to have been the one behind Dimitri’s suffering. The emperor’s motives were unknown. Revenge would only destroy and cause more suffering. But Byleth didn’t care what he had to say.

She did eventually wake, returning to the monastery to find an older Dimitri. She had been gone for five whole years as war continued to wage on across the continent. Dimitri no longer wore a kind face, now towering over all with a brooding demeanor. He mumbled of his desire for revenge. He would kill Edelgard. And Byleth would help him.

The former professor led him and the Blue Lions through to victory. Tearing through Empire territory. Taking back Fhirdiad and rightfully returning the Kingdom to Dimitri. Assisting Claude in his defense against the Empire. And soon enough, marching on the Imperial Capital.

She was reaching closer and closer to her goal. To Edelgard’s death. When she finally entered the throne room, she found the monster the emperor had become. A large Demonic Beast that she was all too ready to kill. This would be the end of the Empire and the beginning of a prosperous Kingdom.

Or so Byleth thought.

She watched as Edelgard fell. The woman tried to kill Dimitri in her final moments, but was instead impaled on his lance. Her death ended the war. The people cheered them on. But Byleth felt empty. Like she gained nothing from completing her revenge. As though everything she had done was pointless. She felt nothing new. She felt apathetic to the world. Her anger simmered down, but nothing was left behind.

Dimitri ascended the throne, all of Fódlan now a part of the Holy Kingdom. Though the joy of victory was short lived. The people grieved for the lives lost. There were discontent citizens who made attempts on the king’s life, angered at his actions against the emperor. Angered at his total takeover of Fódlan.

Byleth stood as the new archbishop of the church. No longer was she required to fight battles and bring about death with her blade. Instead, she led ceremonies and other duties of a church she originally knew nothing of. She was inept when it came to such a duty. Leaving most of her work to the other hands of the church, she gained much free time. Time to think. To reflect.

In her quiet moments alone, she could see the blood that pooled at her feet. The blood of those she killed in the war. All for her revenge. So many innocent people died. People with friends and families. And Byleth killed them. Perhaps Edelgard started the war and dragged them into it, but those lives were still on Byleth’s hands.

People continued to suffer. Dimitri said he would help them. That he would protect the people. But Byleth watched them continue to come to her, suffering. She remembered what Dimitri had said towards the end of the war. About how the strong continue to trample the weak. But also how the strong must be there to protect them. But by keeping the nobles in place, Byleth saw them continue to harm the people.

Her pain only seemed to spiral. She could hear people’s screams. Their suffering became her own. And there was so much blood. It was everywhere. As she looked upon the world, it was painted crimson.

It was only so long until she broke. The pressure had become too much. Years after the end of the war, Byleth journeyed to Fhirdiad. She would say goodbye to her students. Goodbye to Dimitri and his family before heading off. She didn’t know where to, but it would be anywhere outside Fódlan. A place outside of her suffering.

Only, when she arrived to Fhirdiad and saw Dimitri with his young son, the world slipped away into darkness. All that was left was Byleth. And Sothis. Sothis was there upon her throne once more, no longer occupied by a strange man. Byleth’s bangs were once again their normal blue hue. Sothis sent her back.

Back to the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll post the Golden Deer fic on Thursday, and tomorrow will be a fun HSC update.


End file.
